“Hennessy is not just a drink, it’s a lifestyle,” said Fabien Levieux.
A brand that has been passed on from generation to generation, 8 generations of the same family from fathers to sons and uncles to nephews.
We had the absolute pleasure of meeting the Hennessey Brand Ambassador Fabien Levieux; who most certainly taught us a thing or two about the brand and its connection to various parts of the world; most importantly the African and the African-American community, as well as its contribution to fashion. He explained to us where it all began and how it all started.
Sit back, relax, and prepare to be educated as we take you behind the scenes of what we learnt as StyleNerds at the lovely lunch organized by African Elite Group.
Starting at 12.30pm, the event was held at the Lucca Restaurant | Villa Rosa Kempinski Nairobi. The restaurant’s trattoria style surroundings provided a friendly atmosphere as guests settled in to engage and discover the rich history of Hennessy.
So what is this rich history? We thought we might just make life a tad bit easier by enlightening you with a few key facts.
Hennessy has been a game changer in the fashion, music and alcohol industry; a true force to be reckoned with worldwide.
We know what you are thinking, how is fashion even merely related to Hennessy?
Hennessy came together with luxury fashion brand LVMH, which is the strongest luxury group in the world. Have you ever wondered what the The H on LVMH actually stands for? Well it stands for Hennessy, yes! So the full name is Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy. We were shocked too but it actually made sense. This collaboration opened doors to African, American and European markets.
The image and the lifestyle picked up and got bigger, the black and the hip-hop community in the 80s and 90s ended up nicknaming it “Henny”. To this date Hennessey has been featured in more than 10,000 hip-hop and rap songs, not only in America but also in Africa; particularly in Nigeria as the leading consumption market.
I’m sure you are wondering, so what’s the relevance on all this history on the actual event…well let’s just say it’s a build up to our experience at the intimate luncheon. What’s an event experience without a little background information, right?
The luncheon all started off with pairing the cognac with the Italian cuisine. Having the spaghetti carbonara which comprises of spaghetti with crispy pork bacon and carbonara sauce. The complex flavors in the food went well with the cognac and it really was an ideal finishing touch to a fine meal.
A little secret from Mr. Fabien Levieux- Whenever you do food pairing have your food then spice it up like salt and pepper. Helpful right?
So what does Hennessey actually taste like? For someone who has never tasted it, we could say the taste is basically sharp when you have it neat, It’s also oaky with a strong and long finish. However, in our opinion, it really is an acquired taste. One can have Hennessy however they like it as we all have different tastes and preferences.
“You could never go wrong with some Hennessey, a dash of Ginger Ale, lime and some ice cubes” said Mr. Levieux as he poured us some of the cognac.
We were surprised by the fact that The Hennessy cognac served so well as both an aperitif (a small alcoholic drink taken before a meal to stimulate appetite) and a digestif (a type of alcohol served after a filling meal).
Some of the questions were whether you should drink cognac straight, mixed in a cocktail, or on the rocks? The answer to this is that you can have the Hennessy cognac however you enjoy drinking it.
However, there are different kinds of cognac so the first thing to think about is your choice of cognac. Is it a younger VS, a VSOP or an old blend such as the X.O. The difference between these three is in the age of the “eau de vie”, which is directly translated as the “water of life”. The eau de vie is a clear, colorless fruit brandy that is produced by means of fermentation and double distillation. The VS stands for “Very Special” – only eaux de vie at least two years old can be used to make a VS cognac. VSOP stands for “Very Superior Old Pale” – these are made from eaux de vie aged for at least four years. Finally, the XO stands for “Extra Old” – these cognacs are made only from eaux de vie aged for at least six years.
Mr. Levieux also specified that Hennessey being a ‘lifestyle’ also meant that it should be taken responsibly. Responsible consumption + Great cognac = NO HANGOVER. Isn’t this something we all want to hear? Honestly who likes hangovers?
Did you know that a Hennessy Obama exists? A rare limited edition that was produced in 2009 to celebrate the inauguration of 44th President of the United States-Barack Obama. I asked The Hennessy Brand Ambassador if it ever made its way to Africa and he exclaimed, “I have never even seen one!”
As the conversations went on, we realized that beyond the substance there is status. It occurred to us that taste really is a powerful sense. We began to feel the flavor profile, we even tasted the oak. We could differentiate the V.S.O.P, which has a smooth but stronger flavor, from the VS. We felt that the V.S.O.P had its own distinct flavor profile as we could taste the notes of the fruit as well as the oak which felt more balanced and subtle. The V.S.O.P is definitely our most favorite cognac as it remains flavorful especially towards the end of it.
Let’s just admit that Mr. Levieux has really succeeded in teaching us to appreciate cognac.
After that experience, our Hennessey wasn’t just the usual drink we get at the club to get wasted anymore.
Now we definitely can’t wait for the next time we shall be out with my friends so that we could teach them a thing or two about Hennessy, a lifestyle as it is.
And don’t you just feel a little bit more knowledgeable about your favorite cognac? You are welcome.
